A Prophecy Fulfilled: Introduction

Lord Chaitanya’s Eight Teachings. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s descent to this world fulfilled the prophecies of the Vedic scriptures about the incarnation of the Lord for this age.

This is the first of a five-part series on Lord Chaitanya’s Sikshashtaka, or “Eight Teachings.” The series has been adapted from lectures presented at the New York City Public Library to a group of students from Columbia University.

I would first of all like to thank Dr. Lundquist and the other good scholars and librarians affiliated with the Oriental Division for allowing us to meet and discuss the philosophy of Sri Chaitanya, especially in regard to His eight verses, or Sikshashtaka. These important verses contain the sum and substance of Indian religious thought and indeed of all spiritual philosophy.

Some background information is in order. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was a preeminent religious figure of the sixteenth century, although today He is not well known. One reason for this is that He left no literary contribution to speak of. His eight original prayers, which we will be discussing at length, are considered original compositions, although they were not written down in the usual sense. They were profound devotional outpourings, which He spoke in an enhanced state of spiritual ecstasy. They were eventually written down by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s intimate follower Sri Svarupa Damodara. And Mahaprabhu instructed His intimate disciples, chief among whom were the six Gosvamis of Vrindavana, to delineate in a scholarly way His message of scientific devotion, His message of advanced spirituality, His message of love of God. This they did in great detail, and Mahaprabhu’s teachings later came to be known as the philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. So although Mahaprabhu Himself left little in the way of written documents, His followers left a vast wealth of philosophical literature, codifying and systematizing Mahaprabhu’s teachings for future generations.

Besides Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s negligible literary career, a more important, reason that He is not well known is that He is a particularly esoteric avatar and is known as the channa-avatara, or the hidden incarnation of God.

You see, ancient India’s Vedic literature, the world’s most time-honored and comprehensive scriptural tradition, predicts God’s many appearances in this world, referring to His parentage, the town in which He makes His appearance, the mission He seeks to accomplish, and things of this nature. The arrangement is very scientific. So there can be no mistake about an incarnation’s authenticity.

In recent years, especially since the ‘60s, it has become fashionable to sentimentally accept someone as a guru or, worse still, an incarnation of God, based on whimsy, speculation, or gut impressions. But this is risky. Cheaters abound. Separating the saints from the swindlers, the avatars from the avaricious, is sometimes difficult. For this reason Sri Sanatana Gosvami, a direct disciple of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, asked Him, kemane janiba kalite kon avatara? This is the Bengali. It means, “How can I understand who is the incarnation of God for Kali-yuga, the current age?” Mahaprabhu answered, “One can understand that someone is an incarnation in this age in the same way one could have ascertained such a thing in previous ages—by consulting the scriptures.” This is the secret.

The scriptures reveal exact information—specific things to look for in an alleged incarnation. First, there is svarupa-lakshana. This refers to personal characteristics, such as form, nature, and bodily features—external things that one can observe. Then there is ta astha-lakshana. This refers to marginal characteristics, such as specific information about His transcendental activities. In other words, there is a reason why an incarnation descends—and it’s not just to collect money, grow a long beard, and look holy on special holidays! So one who learns this transcendental science from a teacher in disciplic succession—a teacher who represents one of the four genuine Vaishnava lines and does not deviate from the scriptures—will not be cheated. There is thus a way to objectively distinguish the genuine incarnation from a bogus person.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was specifically described in the scriptures, and so according to these standards He is rightly accepted as an incarnation of the Supreme.

A Rare Appearance

But let’s backtrack for a second. The scriptures describe many incarnations in great detail. For example, Buddha is predicted, and the names of His parents and village are specifically mentioned. So, too, are a host of other avatars mentioned, or predicted, in this same exacting way.

Some are explained in a general way, but not so general that it is left vague. Sri Rupa Gosvami’s Laghu- bhagavatamrita, for example, says that the Lord appears in Satya-yuga, the first age, with a white complexion. In the next age, Treta-yuga, He appears with a red complexion. In the following age, known as Dvapara-yuga, He comes with a dark complexion. Finally, in Kali, the fourth age, He generally comes in a blackish form, but sometimes comes in a golden form. This is a secret, esoteric incarnation. The Eleventh Canto of the Bhagavata Purana, for instance, tells us that in a rare Kali-yuga, which occurs only in the twenty- eighth divya-yuga of the seventh Manvantara—that is to say, every 8.64 billion years—this special Golden Avatar appears. This is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Therefore, at this special point in our evolution of yuga cycles, the Lord is called Triyuga, or “He who appears in three of the four ages.” Why? Because in the fourth age He is channa-avatara, or the special hidden incarnation.

Question: You are referring to the predictions in the Vedic texts?

Satyaraja Dasa: Oh, yes. There is much concrete evidence for the divinity of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. For example, there are direct statements in the Mahabharata and the Bhagavata Purana,and there is even a book known as Chaitanya Upanishad, which is said to be an appendix to the Atharva Veda. The Krishna-yamala and the Brahma-yamala both specifically mention by name Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mother, Saci, as well as the town of Navadvip, where He took birth. These two scriptures also mention His mission: the sankirtana movement, or the movement that centers on the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord. The Vayu Purana says, kalau sankirtanarambhe bhavishyami shaci sutah: “In the age of Kali, when the sankirtana movement is inaugurated, Krishna will descend as the divine son of Sacidevi.”

So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s divinity is fully acknowledged in the Vedic literature, and scholars of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition have brought this out in many academic works and lucid writings. Especially, if one carefully reads Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita with the translation and commentary of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, one will be convinced of the preeminent position of Lord Chaitanya.

Confidential Mission

Question: But in India, at least, Sri Chaitanya is not recognized by everyone. If He were such an important avatar, as you indicate, then you would imagine that He would be accepted across the board.

Satyaraja Dasa: In this age, nothing is accepted across the board. [Laughter.] This is the age of disharmony and argument. [Laughter.]

Actually, what you are bringing out is the real glory, or the inner meaning, of channa-avatara. Mahaprabhu’s mission is confidential—the most secret of all secrets. Therefore, the Bhagavatam [11.5.32] predicts that only the most intelligent will recognize His glory: “In the age of Kali the Lord incarnates as a devotee, yellowish in color, and is always chanting the holy name: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Although He is Krishna, His complexion is not blackish like Krishna’s, but golden. He preaches love of God through His sankirtana movement, and those living entities who are sufficiently intelligent will adopt His method of realization.”

So this is the great secret of the scriptures. It is no wonder that it is accepted by a fortunate few! But Krishna had warned that it would be so. In the Gita [7.3]He says, “Out of many millions of people, only a handful will look for perfection. And out of that handful, hardly one will know Me in truth.” So this can be said to relate directly to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Only a rare breed will take up His method of realization. Those who are serious. Those who want love of God and nothing else.

Of course, this is not an ego game. The exalted stature of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s devotees should not be taken as a pompous sentiment. His method is open to everyone. Simply chant the holy name, whatever your religion, whatever your language. Chant God’s name and devote your life to His glorification. If you do this much, then you are a practitioner of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s method, at least in a fundamental sense. So it is not exclusive. We don’t say that one must become a Hindu, or a Jew, or a Christian, or anything. No. Just develop love for God. This is the actual substance of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s nonsectarian message, and it can be embraced by everyone.

What is the result? The highest realization. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is not only Krishna, but Radha and Krishna combined. Male and female absolute—the most complete manifestation of Godhead. This is the verdict of the Gaudiya line.

So, in answer to your question, yes, it is a rare thing, not widely accepted. But that is not very shocking. If you have a rare gem, you shouldn’t expect that everyone will have what it takes to purchase it.

Question: I’m curious about documentation. How accurate are the stories relating to Sri Chaitanya’s life? Were biographies written much later, or were they written during His own time period?

Satyaraja Dasa: More than any other major religious figure, perhaps, Lord Chaitanya was written about in His own lifetime and shortly thereafter. Early biographies include Chaitanya-candrodaya-natakam and Chaitanya-carita, a lengthy work, both by Kavi Karnapura, one of Lord Chaitanya’s contemporaries. And then there were the diaries kept by Murari Gupta, Svarupa Damodara, and Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami, all close associates of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu’s personal servant, Govinda, kept a diary. Several authoritative biographies were written a generation or two after Chaitanya Mahaprabhu—Vrindavana Dasa Thakura’s Chaitanya Bhagavata,for example, andLocana Dasa Thakura’s Chaitanya-mangala. Sometime later came Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami’s Chaitanya-caritamrita, perhaps the most elaborate and esoteric of the Lord’s biographies. These are great scholarly works. And then there is Cudamani Dasa’s Gauranga-vijaya, and the Gaura-pada-taranginim and the Gauranga- campu—oh, there is no limit!

You see, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was known as a divinity in His own time. So contemporaries and devotees of the next two generations took it upon themselves to write many books to capture His pastimes. His history is well documented.